Big Match Preview: Leeds United v PNE

11 August 2017

After last weekend’s opening day victory over Sheffield Wednesday, it is back to league action for the Lilywhites on Saturday with a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United.

Like North End, Leeds opened the season with three points, defeating Bolton Wanderers in front of the TV cameras at the Macron Stadium last Sunday, before defeating Port Vale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

This was a first win for the new man at the helm, Thomas Christiansen, whose side got off to an excellent start, after a summer of change at Leeds, with a new owner as well as a new manager and a number of new signings.

The Opposition

Midfielder Mateusz Klich, goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald and attacker Ezgjan Alioski are among the players that the Whites have recruited so far this summer, along with Everton defender Matthew Pennington on loan, after Kyle Bartley returned to Swansea City after his loan spell and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson from Manchester United.

Samu Saiz, is another to come in and he announced himself with a hat-trick against the Valiants in the league’s cup competition, although he was also involved in an incident that left people talking about that rather than his impressive goals haul.

In their opening league game a couple of Leeds defenders suffered injuries, but the manager will be hoping the players are suitably recovered for the weekend. Speaking after the Bolton game, he said: “Berardi’s injury was his shoulder and Matthew Pennington’s was his ankle.

“We will know more in the next couple of days. It’s disappointing, but at the same time I was very pleased with the contribution of Conor Shaughnessy and Vurnon Anita.They came on and did well, so there were negatives and positives and overall I enjoyed it a lot.”

PNE Team News

Alex Neil will be hoping that Josh Harrop is fit to be available for his competitive debut in a North End shirt, whilst he has decisions to make up front after Jordan Hugill’s brace in midweek.

Skipper Tom Clarke is of course sidelined, but there are very few other issues for the manager to contend with as he looks to make his selections.

The Officials

Taking charge of Saturday’s game is Northumberland official Scott Duncan. His last North End game was the 3-0 home win over Reading in March, which was his third PNE game of last season, having been referee for the EFL Cup win over Oldham Athletic at Deepdale and the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in early December.

The previous year he was the match official for the League Cup tie at Crewe Alexandra, which saw a 3-1 win for the Lilywhites. The previous year he took charge of the team twice, both at Deepdale, our 1-0 home win over Oldham back in August 2014 and the 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient in January.

This is Scott’s sixth year on the EFL lists, having been appointed to the elite group in 2012/13, taking charge of his first PNE game in what proved to be Graham Westley’s final home game, against Shrewsbury Town.

Stat Attack

• This is our 26th league game at Elland Road but only the 24th time we have played Leeds United there. Our first two visits there, in 1913 and 1914, were to face Leeds City who entered the Football League in 1905. Leeds City were thrown out of division two in 1919 after failing to co-operate into an investigation in alleged payments to players during the First World War, which was banned.

• Leeds United were formed the same year and took over ownership of Elland Road, entering the league the following season. Our first return visit to Elland Road came on 13th September 1924, when we lost by 4-0. This set the trend for meetings ever since, with 17 of the 27 games featuring three goals or more and only one goalless draw, back in 2005. The high point for North End fans of course was our thrilling 6-4 victory in 2010, having been 4-1 down approaching half-time. Jon Parkin's hat-trick that night is the only one by a North End player in this fixture.

• Our only previous away league game on this date was at Grimsby in 2000, when goals from Michael Appleton and Jon Macken secured a 2-1 victory at Blundell Park. We have also won three League Cup ties away from Deepdale on this date, at Rotherham, Rochdale and Crewe.

• Jordan Hugill is the most recent of the six post-war players to make their debuts on this date. Jordan's first game for North End came in the previously mentioned League Cup tie at Rochdale when he replaced Kevin Davies in the 80th minute.

Match Coverage

This is the second fixture of the new iFollow broadcasts. If you live outside of the UK and Ireland you can sign up to iFollow Premium and watch the game live! Every game that is not shown live on Sky or chosen at the ITN main game on Channel 5, will be available for iFollow Premium subscribers who live outside of the UK and Ireland – you can sign up for a season pass or just one game at a time.

For those in the UK who can’t attend the game will still be able to receive audio commentary of every game as well.

As well as this, our matchday centre on PNE.Com will be in full flow, as well as all the usual coverage on our social media channels of Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can interact with us on any of these channels.

Ticket Information

The club have been given an initial allocation of 970 situated in the upper tier of the John Charles West Stand. Ticket prices for this game are as follows: Pre-match prices - adults £39, seniors (60 and over) and 16 to 22-year-olds £26, U16s £18 and U11s £9.

Disabled supporters tickets are priced at £26 with the carer ticket free of charge. Junior disabled supporters pay as per the relevant age band above.

Matchday prices (subject to availability) - adults £44, seniors (60 and over) and 16 to 22-year-olds £31, U16s £18 and U11s £9.

Disabled supporters tickets are priced at £31 on the day, with the carer ticket free of charge. Junior disabled supporters pay as per the relevant age band above.

There are 12 pairs of wheelchair and carer tickets and 12 pairs of ambulant disabled and carer tickets. Please note that ambulant disabled supporter tickets are situated in the lower tier for ease of access.

Leeds United advise disabled supporters to use Car Park B at the ground should they be travelling by car, as it is the nearest to the main entrance.

Parking is free for Blue Badge holders and is issued on a first come first served basis through Leeds United.

Headsets for match commentary are available for visually impaired supporters. A £20 deposit is required and headsets must be booked in advance by contacting Leeds United's DLO on 0113 367 6178.

Coach travel is also available for this game and is priced at £15 for all. Coaches will depart from Deepdale and Leyland at 12.30pm.

Match Reports

Leeds United 0 Preston North End 0

12 August 2017

A superb performance in two different parts saw the ten man Lilywhites pick up an excellent point at Elland Road.

Ben Pearson saw red on the hour mark for two yellow cards – the first of which was extremely disputable – but beforehand Alex Neil’s side had taken the game to their hosts and almost snatched what would have been a deserved win in injury time, when Josh Harrop – making his competitive debut for PNE as a second half substitute – hit the bar.

It was a display that really impressed. For an hour, North End – wearing their new green third strip for the first time – were much the better side, Alan Browne twice having good chances following hard work by Jordan Hugill, the only change from the opening day win over Sheffield Wednesday, leading the line with Sean Maguire dropping to the bench.

And it was only after Scott Duncan had decided to send Pearson for an early bath that the Yorkshiremen tested their visitors and when he was called into action, goalkeeper Chris Maxwell was in excellent form, denying Chris Wood with one outstanding stop.

The two teams felt their way into the game in the opening 20 minutes, in front of a boisterous 32,000-plus crowd, but it was the greens who showed first, Tom Barkhuizen collecting a loose ball from Alioski in the middle of the Leeds half before driving forward and unleashing a curling right footed effort from 25 yards just inches past German stopper Wiedwald’s left hand upright on 26 minutes.

They then had a superb chance to go in front just after the half hour mark when Hugill’s pressure forced a mistake from Pontus Jansson, allowing the North End No.9 to drive along the byline and pull the ball back for Browne, but home skipper Liam Cooper got in an excellent position to block the Irishman’s shot from eight yards out.

And 90 seconds into the second half it was the same combination that had a gilt-edged chance for the first goal of the game when again Hugill’s persistence won the ball near the right touchline and drove 40 yards into the box, before a reverse ball back from the byline to Browne, but the No.8’s low shot towards the right hand bottom corner lacked power and Leeds’ summer-signed ’keeper claimed low to his left.

Growing up a Leeds supporter, Tommy Spurr would have loved to have scored at Elland Road and on 53 minutes he nearly did when Daniel Johnson’s cross from a left wing free kick found him unmarked 12 yards out, but Cameron Borthwick-Jackson got in a fine block to concede a corner.

On 57 minutes captain Greg Cunningham did have the ball in the back of the net, with a superb finish on the stretch with his right foot after another Johnson free kick, this time 25 yards out level with the left hand edge of the box, but assistant referee Chris Akers’ flag was up early, right in front of the travelling PNE fans for an offside.

But with 60 minutes on the clock Pearson was given his marching orders for a foul mid-way inside his own half – a second bookable offence according to referee Scott Duncan. If the initial half, his first booking was very harsh having slid in and taken the ball with no contact on a player and the second caution was equally for a nothing tackle in the middle of the pitch – the No.4 could feel very hard done to.

With 17 minutes to go Chris Maxwell made a wonderful one-on-one save to keep the game goalless. Pablo Hernandez had threaded United’s spearhead Chris Wood clean through on goal and he bore down on the box, only for a fully at stretch Maxwell to put out a left hand and push the ball away; and Cunningham did well to mop up in front of Ezgjan Alioski, who looked the more likely to reach the loose ball first.

Into the final seven minutes and Maxwell was earning his wage; a double save from Wood and Dallas after substitute Saiz’s ball in from the right as the home side looked to press home their man advantage.

With three minutes to go there was a chance at the other end to snatch a late goal for the men in green as Harrop, on for Tom Barkhuizen, did well to win the ball and Johnson drove into the left side of the box before drilling a cross or shot into the six yard box that went through a crowd of players and somehow wide of the right hand post.

In the final moments of the game, with over six minutes added on by the match officials, Harrop again broke down the left hand side, ran 40 yards and then smashed a shot that beat Wiedwald, but crashed off the cross bar, but the game remained goalless with a much deserved point in front of a boisterous travelling following who stood to a man to give credit to their players as they returned to the dressing room after the game.

Leeds United line-up: Wiedwald, Ayling, Borthwick-Jackson (Dallas, 82), Cooper (c), Roofe (Saiz, 61) Wood, Alioski, O’Kane, Jansson, Hernandez, Phillips (Vieira, 61). Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Anita, Dallas, Shaughnessey, Ekuban.

PNE line-up: Maxwell, Fisher, Cunningham (c), Pearson, Huntington, Spurrr, Barkhuizen (Harrop, 65), Browne (Gallagher, 90), Hugill, Johnson, Robinson. Subs not used: Hudson, Vermijl, Horgan, Davies, Maguire.

Attendance: 32,880 (697 PNE Fans)

Referee: Mr S Duncan

Ticket News

Leeds United Ticket Details

23 July 2017

Ticket details for Preston North End's first away trip of the Championship season will go on sale at 9am on Monday 24th July.

North End travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds United on Saturday 12th August, 3pm kick-off.

Tickets will be available online 24/7 at MyPNE.Com or by calling 0344 856 1966 during opening hours.

The club have been given an initial allocation of 970 situated in the upper tier of the John Charles West Stand.

Ticket prices for this game are as follows:

Pre-Match Prices

Adults £39
Seniors (60 and over) £26
16 to 22-year-olds £26
U16s £18
U11s £9